Cubs righthander Ryan Dempster has been on the disabled list since June 18 with a lat injury. At first, he was supposed to miss just two starts. Then, the Cubs wanted to hold him out until after the All-Star break, presumably to protect his trade value.
Ryan Dempster Will Start For Cubs Sunday
Dempster had been throwing, first off flat ground, then off a mound, and began to lobby manager Dale Sveum to start on Sunday. He won that argument:
Dempster to start Sunday for #Cubs
— Carrie Muskat (@CarrieMuskat) July 6, 2012
No roster move has yet been announced, but Chris Volstad had been penciled in to start Sunday; it’s likely that Volstad will be optioned to Triple-A Iowa to make room for Dempster.
Dempster has been one of the best starters in the National League this year — when healthy, that is. He’s had two DL stints, but in the 12 starts he has made, he’s posted a 2.11 ERA and 1.025 WHIP. With the Cubs far out of contention and Dempster in a contract year, he’s likely to be traded by July 31. Expect multiple sightings of scouts from other teams at Sunday’s game.
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